#8* NOTICE *** ‘The amateur and stock acting sights w tis werk ae contol exlsively ty THE DRAMATIC PUBLISIING COMPANY witout whose pemison IR wring no perfomance of ima be sven. Royalty rus be pal every ‘nea play performed whether o ots presented for prof and beter form admission i charged. A play perfonmed any tune I acted Before fn aucence, Curent oly rats, aplcations and esicions maybe found our website: ww drumatepublstig.com, or we may be emit by fall at DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sil Washington St, ‘Wonditck IL c09e (COPYRIGHT LAW GIVES THE AUTHOR OR THE AUTHOR'S AGENT ‘THE EXCLUSIVE RIGIIT TO MAKE COPIES, This lo proves sats ‘hth fi tar forth rete efforts. thors cam te ng fm ie royatis they meetve from book sales and fom she parfommance of Het ‘wor Consektions obirvance of copyright aw i nt only eta, en ‘Sourget authors to cone thi een wore This werk fly protsed by copyright No tention, dectons or mbstiutons maybe ade fo the ‘wero the pie writen coset ofthe publisher. No pat of his Work rye repadosel or tans in any form or by ay mes, lsc oF ‘netting photocopy. ecersing, videotape, of ay noma ‘hon store an roel sysem, witout permiston in cing fm te blithe ft may at be perormed ether by professionals or ames ih ‘ut paynen of royalty. All rah, lading. bt act Limited to, te pees Sogl, motion pete, aie, television, videotape, cin langage, bod, ‘esation, etorng. pict and reading. ne Yeseved To pagnance of any ovgs, masks and recordings petoned in bie piensa incepta i mono the cpt omer at eater Oe sng and corns he ube cman a= eMNeK by ‘BARBARA WIECHIMANN Pred ie United Stas of America "Al Right Reseed (AUNTLEAR) soy sre s8342-7948 For my familyIMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTS. All poduces of he play mat give credit the author ofthe payin lp ‘rams distil Cormccton with performances of the play ad i al i Stances in which the tile of the play spyess for puposes of adveritng, Dublieng or oerwise explain the play nde production. The ame [ofthe author must also appear oa spare ie, ov which #0 oer same ‘ype, inmediaely folowing he tile, and ust appear sine of pe pt Tess than iy pecet (S04) the sae a the tle type, Biographical informa tion onthe aor, if ictaded in the playbook, maybe wedi all rogas. Tall programs this notice must appear “Produced by special amangement ith THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, linis” Aunt Leaf was produced in January 2010 in New York City at HERE and originally developed as part of the HERE Artist Residency Program HARP. Director . Jeftiey Mousseau Dramatuirg. 222.20... Jelliey Mousseau Projection photographer / Designer Robert Flynt Set Designer . . Sarah Edkins ‘Ayumo “Poe” Sargusa ‘Amelia Dombrowski Lighting Designer Costume Designer . Sound Designer / Composer J. Hagenbuckle ‘Stage Manager. Alison Carroll It featured the following cast: Voice 1 : ceeees Rachel Richman Voice 2 « «Pal Bemsein Noes tree Alan Bendiitt Aunt Leaf was subsequently produced in Hudson, New York, December 2010 by the Hudson Opera House and Stageworksludson, It featured the same cas, crew and de signers as the orginal production,A NOTE ABOUT CASTING AND PERFORMING Aunt Leaf is a story about storytelling. Although on the page there are typical characters and scenes, I created it 19 be in performance an exploration of storytelling rather than the acting of a conventional play. It was never my-intent to have one actor play one role, and in the original produc- tion, three performers “shared” the entre script, shared the story, These actors (two middle-aged men and a young woman) played the roles of three apparitions haunting an ‘old house, each compelled to tell the story of Aunt Leaf. Each actor leamed the whole script as if i were hishhers alone to tl, and then, through an organic rehearsal process ‘of vocal improvisation, the three told the story together. From these rehearsals we marked the script in order to have a definitive breakdown of who said what when. Sometimes a monologue was shared by all three perform- ‘ers—each taking a chunk or allemating lines—sometimes a single line was broken into pieces, sometimes two people id the same line at once. There were often interruptions ‘when one character felt compelled to “take over" the story and tell it hisher way. In any case, all performers played all roles. This, to me, is one of the beautiful things about storytelling—it is completely unbiased as to gender, race and age, In a conventional play you probably would fot cast a middle-aged man to play a young girl, but a story- teller can play anything. Although admitedly it was chal- lenging for the actors to memorize a serpt this way, the re- sult was a highly connected and energized chamber piece for three masterful actors. For me, this is @ great way to perform the script—my original intent—and | encourage any who wish to attempt it this way to do so, There is 7sample seeie at the end of this book’ from our original stage manager’s script that notes the particular breakdowns ‘we used, This should give you a better indication of how it worked. That being said, if you as a director or performer envision the play as a solo performance.or a storytelling play for 20, by all means give it a try. The only limit should truly be your imagination. AUNT LEAF CHARACTERS VOICE | (woman 20-35) VOICE 2 (man 35-55) VOICE 3 (man 50-65)AUNT LEAF (Blackness, Slowly, sounds grow up out of the dark [What is the sound of story growing?) A voice speaks—as it speaks, patterns of lightleaves ‘multiply in the dark,) VOICE. Do-you know this story? Do you know this story? Do you know the story of Aunt Leaf? 2 VOICE. The story of Aunt Leaf is also the story of a litle. ait. Annabelle Wood, ” ’ Annabelle lived exactly one hundred years ago in a house surrounded by trees on the banks of the Hudson River. In those days the river was just as wide and git n12 AUNT LEAF tering as it is today but the forests were thicker, wilder, more dangerous and more mysterious Annabelle did not worry about thi. She was 11 years old...she fished along the riverbank, played in the rust and rubble of an old brickyard, climbed the branches of a big tulip tree and lived safe inside the house sur- rounded by trees with her cheerful and talkative fam- ily Annabelle’s mother had attention-getting red hair and liked to talk about the good deeds she did for the neigh- bors. Annabelle’s father edited a newspaper and liked to talk about how they pulled limestone from the local cliffs to make cement Annabelle’s sisters, Lucretia and Hortense, made ugly needlepoint pillows and liked to talk about the tiny dresses they sewed for their dolls. ‘Annabelle’s rabbit Gideon ate qui other rabbits. Annabelle rarely talked at all ly and only talked to Annabelle’s silence concerned her family ‘They said things like FAMILY (taking various lines) Do you think she finds us dull? Have we given her a stimulating enough environment? Remember when we dropped her as a baby? Remember when Lucretia hit her with a hammer? AUNT LEAF 1B VOICE, But Annabelle was Annabelle and 11 years ‘old—she did not want to talk about cement, and if she noticed their worry she never said 50 VOICE. One morning at breakfast Annabelle's father made ‘an unusual announcement: FATHER. My Great-Aunt Leaf has slipped on an acom in that crazy house of hers in the woods. It isn’t safe for her to live alone anymore! She'll have to come live with us. : MOTHER. Won't that be fun! ‘VOICE. Annabelle's mother said And so Aunt Leaf came. By mid-morping Annabelle’s father had motored out deep into the country in his new automobile By evening Annabelle and her sisters heard the sound of the engine and ran out to the darkening road to wait for the returning car. Annabelle’s father waved and stopped the motor. He opened the passenger-side door. Slowly, slowly. Out came a gassy pile of blinking black rags— ‘What could anyone say? ‘Aunt Leaf could have been eight uillion years old, Her face was as wrinkled as the bark of an old log. Gnarled hands with long grey fingers stuck out of the sleeves of her stiff dress like'twigs on & winter tre. She smelled like a swamp. What could anyone say?4 AUNT LEAF FAMILY (except for ANNABELLE, one at a time but in a sudden rush and overlapping) Hello, Aunt Leaf! You must be tired? Are you hungry? . Do you like pie? Do you like dolls? Do you know any riddles? Do you want to pet a rabbit? Do you want to go swimming? AUNT LEAF. I want to go home! VOICE. Said Aunt Leaf AUNT LEAF. Take me home! Take tne home! 3. (A depressing interlude.) VOICE. All that June, Annabelles mother tried her best to make Aunt Leaf happy: She planned spontaneous family sing-s-longs Stuffed Aunt Leaf in a canoe and paddled her down- stream fora picnic. Made exotic meals for Annabelle and her sisters to take up to her on decorative trays But Aunt Leaf did not Want any of it ‘What she wanted was to stay in her room staring out the window at the branches of the birch tree that knocked sofily against the glass. AUNT LEAF Is Day by day she grew thinner. If she spoke at al it was to complain AUNT LEAF, ‘The room is too hot!! ‘The house has too many doors! My skin is just a bruise? VOICE, One moming she just screamed, Lucretia and Hortense stopped bringiig up the trays. Only Annabelle continued to go. Every morning silently up up up the stairs to Aunt Leaf's room ‘And every evening down down again with the un- touched tray. It was the same every day Every day. Just the same Every day. Till one night something different happened. 4, VOICE. ‘That night Long after the moon was up Long after the rest of the family had fallen into deep sleep Annabelle lay awake in her bed thinking her prayers:16 AUNT LEAF ANNABELLE (thinking). God bless and keep my family safe God bless Gideon and make sure he’s happy. ‘And please, if possible, I'd like not to be chased by anything this summer— AUNT LEAF (calling far of). Annabelle! ANNABELLE (not quite sure she heard anything). Bats oF AUNT LEAF. Annabelle! ANNABELLE, Or a moose. AUNT LEAF. ANNABELLE! ANNABELLE, —anything with teeth ‘AUNT LEAF. ANNABELLE! VOICE. And Annabelle at last hearing her calls jumped cot of bed and ran to Aunt Leaf's room. Aunt Leaf met her at the door. Her twigay fingers pinched Annabelle’s, wrist AUNT LEAF. Go! Quick Quick! Go—outside—see if you see! See if you see! Quick! Quick! VOICE. So Annabelle ran—down the hall, past her sisters, past her mother, past her father, down the stairs, around the landing, out the back door, and into the dark of the lawn and the woods. (ANNABELLE stands in the yard looking around in the dark. Night sounds come in. She stands a long time ooking without speaking.) What did she see? Out there in the night? Out there on the silky grass? ‘AUNT LEAF AUNT LEAF. What do you see? What do you see?! (ANNABELLE says nothing.) Anything? Anything’? (ANNABELLE says nothing.) ‘What did you see!!! ANNABELLE. Nothing. VOICE. Aunt Leaf stared at Annabelle with her lamp-like AUNT LEAF. [heard my husband hard your Great cle Greenleaf whistling on the lawn, Just'the way he used to, (ANNABELLE says nothing but stares at AUNT LEAF) ‘My husband was outside on the lawn, Whistling to his dog. Did you hear? (ANNABELLE shakes her head.) He might come back... He'll come back. (ANNABELLE continues 10 say nothing but stares at AUNT LEAF) AUNT LEAF. You'll see him next time18 ‘AUNT LEAF (ANNABELLE still says nothing.) If you move fast enough. ANNABELLE. No ‘AUNT LEAF. You'll se him. ‘ANNABELLE. I don’ think so AUNT LEAF. You'll see his green shirt ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf— ‘AUNT LEAF. You'll se the black dog! ANNABELLE. I've been to the cemetery— AUNT LEAF, If you don't waste any time— ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf, I've seen his grave! AUNT LEAF (pause). People come back, ANNABELLE. What? AUNT LEAF, They can come back ANNABELLE. That's not real AUNT LEAF. They do come back, ANNABELLE. Thats only in tories AUNT LEAF. This isa story. (Beat, Everything isa story ANNABELLE. This isn't a story ‘AUNT LEAF. Yes yes yes, it is! ‘Spiders, rocks, pine cones—living things are made of Stories—flled with stories, How else would we know they are alive? ANNABELLE, Rocks aren't ali— AUNT LEAF. Don't you know!!? When you sink you're toes in the mud you're sinking in stories. AUNT LEAF 19 When you lie breathing in the dark you're breathing stories T heard my husband tast night. ANNABELLE, 1 iow ‘AUNT LEAF. | heard him whistling on the lawn, Did you hear? Did you hear? ANNABELLE (pause), No, ‘AUNT LEAF. And when you went out jou sw— ‘ANNABELLE, Nothing. didn't see anything. AUNT LEAF (pause). He might be back. ‘ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf— AUNT LEAF. If you run fist epough you might see hit, Ityou're quicker. ANNABELLE (pauses, looks at AUNT LEAF). Til be auicker next tine 5. VOICE. Later that night Annabelle lay in bed thinking and rethinking, ANNABELLE. What could it hurt— VOICE. She thought— ANNABELLE. To tell one litle story. (Beat) If it makes someone happy. ‘What could it hurt to tell one tiny lie. .20 AUNT LEAF (ANNABELLE waits watching on the lawn while night sounds surround her. Separately, ANNABELLE’ family sits around a table playing word games.) FATHER (shattering the revere). I'm thinking of a word that starts with “P" and ends with °M" VOICE. Day after day— LUCRETIA (with HORTENSE and MOTHER.in rapid sue- cession). Pendulin! HORTENSE. Pom Por! MOTHER. Paramecium!!! VOICE. Annabelle’s family talked and talked — MOTHER (eating an orange and picking out the seeds). Sixteen pits in one orange section! LUCRETIA & HORTENSE (one at a time). Record! Re- cord! FATHER. Family record! VOICE. And Aninabelle barely spoke at all But now sometimes during the night she would wake up AUNT LEAF. Annabelle! Annabelle! VOICE. Run silently down the stairs, ghost like out the back door to thé inky lawn where she stood looking at the same grass, the same huge tulip tree, the same moonlight spreading over Gideon's hutch—she always id AUNT LEAF 21 ‘And began-to do something she had never done before; She began to make things up: ANNABELLE (reporting back to AUNT LEAIF—temtatively at first, but as the nights go on with more and more confidence). ‘The clouds were moving very fast. (Beat,) ‘The moon looked a little pink (AUNT LEAF nods.) ANNABELLE (reporting back to AUNT LEAF a second time). = heard a dog bark across the river 3 times, then 3 times, then thee times again AUNT LEAF. That's a sign. ANNABELLE (reporting back to AUNT LEAF a third time). | saw the bushes move AUNT LEAF. The bushes moved ANNABELLE. I heard a twig snap AUNT LEAF. Go on— ANNABELLE, ‘There was a soft jingling— A low whistling... AUNT LEAF. = ‘What else? ‘What else?2 AUNT LEAF ANNABELLE. | found a bootprint in the mud! I saw the trees bend in no wind AUNT LEAF. Yes! Yes! ANNABELLE. . 1 saw Gideon's fur stand on end Tsaw— AUNT LEAF. A shadow. ANNABELLE. I saw a shadow! AUNT LEAF. You saw a shadow move across the grass. ANNABELLE. Slide across the grass AUNT LEAF. You saw a shadow slide across the grass. ANNABELLE. Ripple across the grass in the moonlight— ‘and something else. AUNT LEAF. Something else ANNABELLE, Smoke! AUNT LEAF, You saw smoke. ANNABELLE, Curls of blue smoke AUNT LEAF. From his pipe ANNABELLE, Curls of blue smoke AUNT LEAF. Pipe tobacco ANNABELLE. Curls of blue smoke AUNT LEAF. Drifting through the branches ANNABELLE, And suddenly AUNT LEAF. A flash! ANNABELLE. of gold! AUNT LEAF. Of silver ANNABELLE. in the leaves AUNT LEAF. by the tulip treo— AUNT LEAF 2B ANNABELLE, gold by the tulip tree AUNT LEAF. Silver—you saw a flash of silver ANNABELLE. like the blade of a sword AUNT LEAF. Like an ax ANNABELLE. Like the blade of a swinging ax— AUNT LEAF. His ax ANNABELLE, And the sound of — AUNT LEAF. the ax ringing ANNABELLE. As it cut the dead branches AUNT LEAF, ‘The sound of his ax ringing— Do you hear? Do you hear? ANNABELLE. Yes! Yes! AUNT LEAF. Do you hear?! ANNABELLE. Yes! It was bim. heard Uncle Leaf, 1 saw his shadow. twas him! It was him! AUNT LEAF (softy). Bring me something from outside, * 7 5 . (ANNABELLE outside gathering leaves and branches.) VOICE. Annabelle gathered leaves and: branches and ‘brought them inside.4 ‘AUNT LEAF Cattails Bullrushes Witch hazel Elm, ‘Syeamore Hickory ‘Sumac. * Red Oak White Ash Black Poplar Pine Hackberry Mulberry Elder VOICE. She pinned a swamp buttercup in Aunt Leafs hair. Didn't Aunt Leaf look lovely? Didn't she seem young? ‘Wasn't she happy? (AUNT LEAF surrounded by branches and leaves, etc) AUNT LEAF He built our house in the woods. Every morning he walked into the forest with his ax. Cut away the dead wood, made room for the new ‘growth. AUNT LEAF 28 Every night I watched the sky tum pink between the branches. Waited for his footsteps, am siting on the steps looking into the forest. have lit the fire for supper. Tam wearing my new blue dress. VOICE. Annabelle gave Aunt Leaf a silvery mirror. ANNABELLE, Look! VOICE. Aunt Leaf gave Annabelle a silvery photograph, AUNT LEAF. Look! Isn't he handsome? Look at his eyes! Look at his eyes! Look at his hands Isn't he handsome? Now you know In case you see him Now you'll know 9. VOICE, Now alone at dusk on the riverbank, Annabelle whispered to Gideon ANNABELLE, - : Every morning he would walk into the forest with his26 AUNT LEAF Every night she would watch the sky tir pink between the Branches— Wait for his footsteps. VOICE. In the dark by herself every night Annabelle began to ‘The more she saw the more she-wondered. ‘The more she wondered the more she imagined. ANNABELLE, Gideon, look! Do you see anything? Look at the tulip tree— Don’t the branches look like arms against the sky? ‘The way they're waving? Don't they look like arms? ‘Sometimes I think I see eyes in the leaves. Really See there! (See there!) Do you think those were eyes? Look! (Look!) VOICE, The more she imagined, the more she told ANNABELLE. I saw pair of tall boots disappear into the twilight. I saw a wagging tail and the back of a dog. It was huge... It was as big as a pony... VOICE. All that July, Aunt Leaf grew fat aiid hopeful on the small fibs Annabelle fed her. AUNT LEAF. Wash my face AUNT LEAF 27 Hook my pearls Open the window ‘The air smells sweet ‘Open the Window 1 Filtell you a story d Wait for his whistle. Listen to my story This is the story of Uncle Leaf and the suramer the spi ders came, This is the story of Uncle Leaf and the blizzard that covered the house, This is the story of — AUNT LEAP. voice Uncle Leaf and the-witch, All that August, Annabelle of the Athens woods, Tooked atthe way the Uncle Leaf and the Bullfrog fish jumped in the river, children the way the screech owl The mysterious lights sat on bis branch in the dark, “The water snake ‘She looked for her Uncle the lack ice. Greenleaf's handsome eyes in the fireball. the leaves and began to wish the wolves her own slories were true. ANNABELLE. VoIce, : Uncle Leaf knows every story ever tld Uncle Leaf hides himself in the . shapes of animals and birds Uncle Leaf hears what the ferns are thinking By September, Annabelle no | Uncle Leaf knows the longer waited for Aunt Leaf28 AUNT LEAF spore language of the crows hides himself in the shapes of animals and birds Ides himself in the shapes of animals and birds ANNABELLE. Sometimes be is a man with ‘brown boats. Sometimes he isa black crow Aropping feathers, Sometimes a prey cloud Sometime a white der. Sometimes a groen snake. 4 brown mouse, a silver wo 4 yellow finch, a red fox 4 purple mot. to call—she left her bed.on her own and spent hours on the edge ofthe woods dreaming on her feet. AUNT LEAF, He built out house in the ‘woods Every moming he walked into the woods with his ax (Cut away the dead ‘wood-—made room forthe ‘new growth Every night watched the sky tum pink between the branches Ww ted for his footsteps. am sitting on the steps Joking into the forest | have lt the fie for supper. Lam wearing my new blue rest. AUNT LEAF 29 VOICE. Midnight after midnight. Annabelle lay watching ‘and thinking in the dark tangle of the tulip tree. Voices from the daytime world called to her as if through the thickness of dream. LUCRETIA & HORTENSE (alternately. ‘Annabelle! ‘Annabelle! Wake up! Get up! You'll make us late! We're late for school! Today is special We're reciting our poems Our Halloween poems We have new shoes Annabelle You look green You look pasty Annabelle! ‘Annabelle Get upt MOTHER. FATHER. 2 ‘Annabell! Annabelle Annabelle! - ’ ‘Annabell! Miss Woods! You look pale Miss Woods! ‘Ave you blue? ‘TEACHER. Wis rude to yawn, ‘Are you allright? Are you out of sorts?30 AUNT LEAF AUNT LEAF 31 tis rue to stare, ‘VOICE. But Annabelle paid no attention... She was busy Do you have a fever? listening to another voice. A new one. Pethaps a lcge eneyclopedi Her own, Would cheer you up. Is there a bear Mas Howard's (Out the window? : ANNABELLE, VOICE, Baby had the croup. Catal, ‘An encyclopedia is a . Bulleushes {brought them pickles wonder kingdom ae ‘And some jam, All itso, Do you know what em Te was no trouble at al We're discussing? Tris a kingdom of fies Sycamore A wn Ose ae os you ed fico ‘tebe wa andre Sees sume Pas io I don't know what we Pas wld ie Red Oxk Sting ot loner an Bin ot yon te loge a Aindon ite ash Shed the growing fren notin cal, on wwe wt Blak Pople She drt note Oth we ay be sve te Te geo tine oat Mackey Steg entre Tea tobi Mabey The wo ote dy Wo wou hres Ber Shed fen nove sss Wiss Won, ‘Are you deaf? “oe a ou oe soe ‘Who wouldn't be fascinated! : een fe youit2 ! Dake, Darker ome Aare Fore, rer . : is Won ; Bive Black ‘Are you stupid? And nothing. Daretet Wet leaves32 ‘AUNT LEAF ‘Smoke and ait ‘And soft twigs ‘Against my throat Like fingers. Black Black ‘And nothing, Nothing, Black Black— Where is my hand? Where are my feet? Aunt Leaf! Uncle Leaf! Whose mouth is this? Whose voice is this? Uncle Leaf! Uncle leaf?! Pm here. Do you see me? Uncle Leaf! ‘Shhh Shh ‘Twigs on my cheek Like fingers ‘Shh hhh Black Black Blue Black Out of the dark grows— Out of the dark grows— ‘Shh bhbhh This This This This isthe story AUNT LEAF 3 This is the story of ‘This is the story of the dark. This is the-story of the girl in the.night. ‘This is the story of the nightdress and the wet leaves. This i& the story of the invisible hand. This isthe story of the whispering trees. the unheard sounds. the yelloweeyes. the deep river. of the fish. of the weeds. ‘the moon— This is the story of — VOICE, All that November Annabelle moved transfixed from bed to woods from branches to stairs bringing sto- ries from the night to share with Aunt Leaf, But as the leaves tumed yellow and fell one by one onto the grey earth, Aunt Leaf herself spoke less and less. Sometimes she spoke and made no sense ata. AUNT LEAF. Bats i the grass! Stop pinching me! Don’t eat that egg! Poison! Poison! VOICE, Sometimes she opened her mouth and only seat- tered words came out AUNT LEAF. ‘Moss moss wallpaper worn Beetle maggot lump Lozenger lump. VOICE. Sometimes only sounds.34 AUNT LEAF AUNT LEAF. Thhhhh...fggggg...shhbhh...stettt swanwwwa...swwwwwa, VOICE. But Annabelle didn’t care. She came back from the woods every night shining and shivering, climbed the stairs to where Aunt Leaf was waiting with her owl eyes and told stories till the old woman fel. asleep. ANNABELLE (very softly and fading underneath the VOICE’s next speech). This isthe story of the blue pebble This isthe story of the dark This is the story of weeds This isthe story of the deep river ‘This isthe story of the moon (During the following speech ANNABELLE rises up out of the branches and goes to AUNT LEAF. She moves through the woods and the yard as she is being de- seribed by the neighbors. When the last neighbor tells his longer stories she is standing in AUNT LEAFS room. AUNT LEAF looks half asleep and at first does not respond to ANNABELLE—as the neighbor describes his vision of the ghost girl opening her mouth to speak, AUNT LEAF opens her mouth as if to speak to ANNABELLE. ete) VOICE. Now came the bitter cold. It was past apple time. There were no moze pumpkins. All the corn had been picked—and one freezing night after the children had all eaten too much pie Lucretia woke from. a terrible ddream in which Gideon was bigger than the bed and AUNT LEAF 35 hhad grown a Jarge waxed mustache and fangs. She ran into Annabelle's room to tell her, LUCRETIA. Annabelle! Annabelle! Gideon grew giant! Gideon grew fangs! VOICE. But Annabelle was not there. Where was ‘Annabelle? Not in her bed. Not in her room. Not down- stairs in the pantry sneaking more pie. Lucretia woke up Hortense, LUCRETIA. Annabelle is gone! VOICE. Hortense jumped on her mother and father. HORTENSE. Annabelle has left! Annabelle is missing! VOICE. White dressing gowns in and out, in and out, the rooms of the chilly house. VOICE. Upstairs, Aunt Leaf sat dreaming out the window. Nobody thought to go up. FAMILY. Annabelle! Annabelle! Where has she gone!? Where has my child gone! VOICE. White dressing gowns in the unlit parlor. White dressing gowns and the horrible surrounding quiet. Tick, tick, tick tick tick went the grandfather elotk. tick tick... Then Annabelle’s mother heard the wind bang the wooden shutters against the house. She looked at the window —at the moonlight Streaming in. MOTHER. Put your coats on VOICE. She told the children MOTHER. Put your mittens on36 AUNT LEAF VOICE. And out they went. Out into the night. Out into the dark of the lawn and the woods. ‘What did they see? Out there in the dark? Out there on the withered grass? MOTHER. ‘What do you see? . Anything? Anything? LUCRETIA. t's dark. HORTENSE. We can’t see anything LUCRETIA. We.can’t see in the dark, FATHER. Annabelle! Annabelle! VOICE. Annabelle's fatter started the engine of his new automobile and drove out to the neighboring farms. FATHER, Have you seen my child? My little giel is missing, My child is gone. My child is lost! VOICE, ‘Soon men arrived with lanterns and torches. ‘They rowed out onto the river. ‘They crisscrossed the fields on horseback. ‘And they walked deep into the wood Annabelle's mother pit a big vat of spiced cider on the stove And stirred And stirred AUNT LEAF 37 And stirred So she would not be aftad. Lucretia and Hortense stood in their long thick coats next to Gideon's hutch. HORTENSE. Shhhhhh— VOICE. They soothed Gideon. LUCRETIA. Annabelle will be back. HORTENSE. Annabelle is not really gone. LUCRETIA. People come back— HORTENSE. They do come back. VOICE. Annabelle's father walked with the men into the ‘woods. He walked and walked and as he walked he be- ‘gan to do something he almost never did...he listened. He heard the sound of boots on the dry leaves. He heard the flapping of wings overhead and the snap- ping of dry branches. ‘And he heard the low voices of the men up ahead...and he listened harder. NEIGHBORS. saw a pale figure In the bleak of night ‘Moving through the T saw a pale figure saw a young git] All in white I saiw a fairy giet38 AUNT LEAF With silver hair I saw a ghost gitt With flaming Fingertips Skin like watered milk Skin so white is was almost blue Almost green saw a witch girl With green skin Sitting in the branches Kneeling by the river Sifting through the rushes Flying trough the treetops NEIGHBOR (FARMER). ‘One night last week Night of the first frost Iwas home by the fire Just about to head up to bed ‘When I heard the horses Moving about in their stalls ANNABELLE. Auntie? FARMER. ‘Moving about, making strange noises frightened. ANNABELLE. Auntic? ‘AUNT LEAF 39 FARMER. took the lamp and went out. Walked across the cold grass in the pitch black Walked almost to-the woods before I saw it ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf? FARMER. Something white slipping around the comer of the bam I shone my lantern on it Quick as a wink—shone the lamp and there she was ale as watered milk Skin so white it was almost blue Almost green, ‘Thin—thin as a starving dog. I stared. I stared. ANNABELLE, Aunt Leaf? FARMER, ‘Two huge [ eyes like silver dises stared back. “What do you want?” I said “What have you come. here for?” + She opened her mouth as if to speak “What do you want here!!” — : “Again'she opened her mouth== “What do you want!” “What do you want?!" And this time she opened her mouth and began to speak—40 ‘AUNT LEAF Began to utter—but what came out— Not words Not words— NEIGHBORS. Leaves Leaves Leaves Leaves Leaves (Leaves pour out of AUNT LEAF s mouth. ANNABELLE gasps. As in the beginning, light patterns of leaves be- gin multiplying until the room becomes dense with dark leaves, Blackout) 10. (ANNABELLE bundled up in bed. She is very pale and appears to be asleep. Her mother sits in a chair next to the bed.) voi ‘What is real and what is not? Annabelle did not know anymore Annabelle was sick Annabelle was so sick that her father did not -go to work, her mother sat in a chair beside her bed and did not leave, Lucretia and Hortense were quiet. AUNT LEAF 41 Annabelle was so sick that dreams overtook her. She slept and woke and slept but could not tell which was which, Sometimes deep in the middle of her dreamwaking Annabelle thought she heard Aunt Leaf call—but she ‘was too weak to get up and she was never left alone. For the first time nobody wanted her to speak— ANNABELLE. How is Auntie? (Pause.) How is Aunt Leaf PATHER, Aunt Leaf? MOTHER. Shhh shbh— LUCRETIA, Aunt Leaf is old FATHER, Aunt Leaf is just the seme— MOTHER, Aunt Leaf is fine... Shhh shhh ANNABELLE, Did you ask? Did you ask her? MOTHER. Shhhhb Sahhhh— * VOICE. But Annabelle knew they would still make pies and jam to take up on trays, they would still change the sheets on Aunt Lea's bed; make sure her clothes were clean, and open the window to let in the fresh air, but they would not ask her to tell stories nor would they tell Aunt Leaf any stories of their own, What is real and what is not?a2 AUNT:LEAF Annabelle-could not tell how long she-had been lying in bed. . — She could not tell ifit had been an hour or a year— but one night she woke and found that her mother was 1g longer sitting in her room: = She could hear her father safely snoring down the hall Outside the black window it was snowing, (ANNABELLE watching the snow) ANNABELLE (thinking). What has happened? VOICE. She thought ANNABELLE. Weren't there leaves? Weren't the woods filled with animals and birds? Didn't we spend all night telling stories? Aunt Leaf Aunt Leaf?! VOICE. But only the snow answered—softy brushing the window with its icy erystals. ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf? (Long peiuse. There is only-the sound of the snow.) ‘What happened? T made it up. ‘Aunt Leaf is just an old woman asleep upstairs. | was sick and now I'm better— And I am almost 12. AUNT LEAF a VOICE, Far off the sound of an ax rang faintly. ANNABELLE. I made everything up. VOICE. And the ax rang louder. ANNABELLE. I made everything up. VOICE. And the ax rang louder. And the ax rang louder. ANNABELLE. T made it up! I made it up! | made it up! VOICE, ‘And it fang, ‘And it rang, ‘And it rang. Wilder and wilder till at last ran to the window and looked out once again—one last time into the night to see...10 see, ANNABELLE. Aunt Leaf! ‘Auntie! nL. VOICE. Annabelle stood in Aunt Leafs dark room, ANNABELLE. . Did you know it was snowing? 1 went out ia the snow. | went out because I heard. ee44 AUNT LEAF Theard—t heard went out to see— | went out in the snow ‘And I could see ‘ Isaw ‘A man cutting trees. ‘A man at the edge of the forest Cutting trees. Clearing the dead wood Tsaw a man chopping trees 1 saw his dog running in the snow I saw the snow falling on the ax 1 saw the light jumping off the blade 1 saw the blade sinking in the wood 1 saw a man chopping troes I saw his hands I saw his eyes knew who he was, Uncle Greenleaf! Unele—! But he paid no attention to me. He swung the ax ‘And the blade struck He swung the ax ‘And the blade struck Ll He swung the ax He swung the ax He swung He swung i ‘And then it stopped. : 1 saw him walk out of the woods. I saw him walk to the big tre. AUNT LEAF 45 The tulip tree— 1 saw him touch the lowest branches. 1 saw him put his hand on its huge trunk, 1 saw him look at it. He looked at the tulip tee ‘And I was affaid, No. No. No. You can’t have that one. You can’t take it. No, ‘That's ours. ‘That's our tree— I's mine You can’t have it It's mine! It's mine! ‘One chop and it fel. Quiet. Like a cloud falling. Light as a feather on the moon It made no sound. This is real He looked at me 1 saw his eyes Just like you showed me46 AUNT LEAF Two deep green pools ‘They made me warm, ‘Then he whistled for It jumped in the snow. ‘And they walked back into the woods. his dog. But it was real It was more than a story. ‘Aunt Leaf? ‘Aunt Leaf? VOICE, ‘Aunt Leaf did not move. ‘Annabelle looked at Aunt Leaf, Aunt Leaf did not move. Annabelle looked at Aunt Leaf, (ANNABELLE puts her hand up to AUNT LEAF cheek 4s if she were Uncle Leaf putting his hand on the trunk of the tulip tree) 12, VOICE, ‘Some things do not change when morning comes. Some things are not a dream. Annabelle sat looking out the window at the foggy world. Outside, the Tulip Tree lay on the soft white snow. Downstairs, Aunt Leaf’s body lay in a long black box. AUNT LEAF 47 Annabelle did not go down to look at the box. ‘The next day it was carried up the hill to the cemetery in a wagon Hitched to two grey horses. Annabelle’s family walked all the way. Next to Uncle Leaf's grave a large hole had been dug, ‘The black box went into the earth, Annabelle looked down the hill, ‘There Was the town spreading below her. ‘There was her house with its rooms full of dark furni- ure, ‘There was the riverbank, with the old factories, the rust- ing machinery ‘And there was the silver river, and the black Winding woods. LUCRETIA. It's windy up here VOICE. Said Lucretia LUCRETIA. It's too windy. VOICE. Later that day Annabelle's mother poured soup into blue and white Chinese patterned bowls. MOTHER. We must not be too gloomy about Aunt Leaf. VOICE, She said. FATHER. No indeed. : VOICE. Annabelle's father added. * FATHER. She wouldn't want that MOTHER, She was a merry soul after al With a good light heart. Drink your soup and go.out and play,48 AUNT LEAF VOICE, The children drank their soup and ran out inté the snow. All that winter the great tree lay on the lawn. Annabelle’s’ sisters made forts inside its cave of branches, ‘Annabelle’s® father chopped the trunk into pieces. He built a shed for his new automobile, and a dollhouse for Lucretia and Hortense with real working closets for their tiny ugly doll clothes. Annabelle’s mother delighted in carrying heaps of fire- ‘wood to the neighbors. Gideon got a bigger hutch. FATHER. What would you like, Annabelle? ‘VOICE. Annabelle’s father asked FATHER. The tree should give you something, Wouldn't you like something ftom the tree? VOICE. But Annabelle only shook her head and said noth- ing. By April it was gone. Not a twig was left ‘The snow was gone too. Here and there patches-of green pushed up from what had been a dull-colored earth, MOTHER. In’ it funny? ‘VOICE. Annabelle’s mother said one morning at breakfast. AUNT'LEAF rr) MOTHER. Isn't it odd how our tree fell for no reason at all FATHER. There's always a reason. MOTHER. Yes, and isn’t it fun that there are-reasons. FATHER. Indeed! It could have been lightning MOTHER. Winter Lightning FAMILY (variously) Or Elm Blight Or Tulip Blight Ora beetle! Devouring rats! Fungal disease! ‘Too much snow! Root rot! Aphids! Woodpeckers! Poison! Lats research it! Let's look it up! Let's look it up! ANNABELLE. No! VOICE. Annabelle looked out the window at the patches of green grass, at the red buds curled at the tips of the trees leading into the forest...she looked carefully at her ‘mother and her father. At Lucretia and Hortense—then something happened that no one expected...she spoke again, ANNABELLE. Shhh VOICE, She said.so AUNT LEAF ANNABELLE. know how the tre fell, 1 know the story. I know many stories and J will tell you the story of our tree But you have to be patient—and you have to listen Listen And [will tll you Listen. (ANNABELLE looks at her family who sit around the breakfast table not speaking but listening.) END OF PLAY ‘SAMPLE SCENE Voice } (woman 20-35 Voice 2 (man 35-55) Voice 3 (man 50-65 2ond 3 Sand 1 Vand 2 EVERYONE Stage Directions 1 Blackn Slowly sounds grow up out of the dark. (what is the sound of @ story growing?) A.soice speaks—as it speaks, patterns of lightIeaves mul ‘ply in the dark VoIce Do you know this story? Do you know this story? Do you know the sfory of Aunt Leaf?